


(i don't like a) gold rush

by ginbucket (inlightofvisa)



Category: VALORANT (Video Game)
Genre: Idiots in Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, but man it sure doesn't show, do i listen to anything other than taylor swift?, everyone other than phoenix and yoru is just mentioned, first arguments while IN LERV, idk yoru has the EQ of maybe a rock, maybe too many card game metaphors, phoenix has many feelings and also cannot hide them bc have you met that man, post-retake cinematic, the answer is yes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:20:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29372226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlightofvisa/pseuds/ginbucket
Summary: Yoru pockets his butterfly knife.“What part of ‘I was going to get shot’ is not registering?”“That doesn’t mean you shoot at me!” Phoenix shouts, eyes flashing.
Relationships: Yoru/Phoenix (VALORANT)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 57





	(i don't like a) gold rush

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't already, watch the cinematic "Retake!" You can't convince me that these two idiots aren't in a relationship with each other. They're absolute GOOBERS.

The wheedling follows him on the boat back from Antarctica to China. Yoru tries to remain as impassive as the ocean waves, lapping gently against the side of their boat. 

“You _shot_ at me!” Phoenix says. Yoru has lost count of how many times he’s said it. “Boyfriends don’t _shoot at each other._ ” 

“If you wanted me to wait and die, you should have asked,” Yoru says cooly. He spins his butterfly knife easily, trying to find some measure of solace in the feeling of metal against his fingertips. The comb flicks out easily, an icy _clink_ in the brief beat of quiet.

Sage had warned against kindling relationships with their fellow agents. At the time, Yoru hadn’t given it a serious thought. Raze was much too into her combustibles, Killjoy had been too busy picking on Raze (not that Raze had noticed. Yoru wondered if that woman really ever heard anything with all the explosives he caught coming from her lab, if you could call it that), and Phoenix? A chatterbox. Loud. Annoying. If there had been one thing Yoru had learned about himself while wandering his alternate dimension alone after the First Light, it was that he cherished peace and quiet. There had never been enough of it when he was operating with the local yakuza family, but in his own little world? Plenty. Embracing the silence was how he had found his way back to reality, crafting his signature mask in the process. The teammates he could remotely bear in any capacity were Skye and Sage. 

It had been hard for Yoru to adjust to working with the others at first, due to the noise. Phoenix and Raze were, unsurprisingly, loud. Killjoy was insistent on having the last word in any situation. Skye and her pack of animals made an incredible ruckus that she was the sole interpreter for. Only Sage seemed to be dedicated to their mission of raiding Kingdom stores of radianite. Get in, get out, stay safe. And shut the fuck up, because Cypher had eyes _and ears_. 

“Well no, that’s… not exactly what I wanted,” Phoenix says sheepishly, breaking the silence. He scratches at the nape of his neck. Yoru exhales, running the comb against his hair. It’s more a comfort gesture at this point than it is for vanity. “But an apology would be nice.” 

Yoru huffs, twirling his comb back into its handle and tossing the butterfly knife into the air before catching it, grip knuckled white against the metal. 

“You know the equipment that Jett runs with,” he says, trying not to let his annoyance bubble to the surface. “A Sheriff may hit hard, but I can’t out-fire an automatic rifle.” 

Phoenix is still sullen, hurt clearly on his face. 

“Would you rather be carrying me back to Sage with bullet holes?” Yoru asks flatly. 

“No!” Phoenix says, his head thunking back against the wall of the boat. Yoru winces in sympathy--it sounded painful. Phoenix makes no sign of registering any sensation, whether because he’s that hard-headed or out of stubbornness, Yoru doesn’t know. He’s willing to bet on stubbornness, though. “You can’t just shoot at me though, man. Or at least, not without warning. I expect that sort of shit from Kingdom, but not… not from you.” 

Yoru pockets his butterfly knife.

“What part of ‘I was going to get _shot_ ’ is not registering?” 

“That doesn’t mean you shoot at me!” Phoenix shouts, eyes flashing. The fireproof lining of his jacket starts to crackle, and the wall of the boat hisses. Yoru blinks at him.

“Phoenix,” he says, trying to sound as gentle as possible. “Phoenix, what’s wrong?” 

In the months of being forced to know each other, Yoru and Phoenix had taken to patching up each others’ wounds after rough missions. Phoenix usually was quite chipper, even under the burden of a radianite bullet from a well-positioned Operator (Jett and her ability to get into different nooks and crannies… was annoying). Yoru had never seen Phoenix lose control of his emotions--and by extension, his abilities--not once under bullet fire, not once while charging an open angle, and certainly not once while dealing with pain. Something about this whole situation must have gotten him shaken up. 

“I’m scared, Yoru!” Phoenix says finally, voice igniting the quiet air. “Ever since the event, I’ve been wandering and on my own. You should know better than anyone that the world doesn’t take kindly to Radiants. We’re freaks. We’re why Kingdom exists, and why they’re doing what they’re doing.” 

His chest heaves, and the flames on his arms start to rise, burning brighter and hotter.

“You were my best friend, and I was so unsure of taking this step with you, and every time we’re out trying to stop Kingdom from stealing our stores of Radianite, I get scared because what if this is the time that you don’t come back? What if you get caught back there in enemy lines, and we can’t get you back? We’ve been lucky this far to always make it out, but what if…” 

The flames immediately extinguish, and Yoru shivers at the sudden temperature difference. Phoenix hangs his head, voice gravelly. “I just… I dunno man. I’m just worried that you maybe don’t like me. Or that you don’t want to be with me. And that shooting me… was your way of saying it without saying anything.” 

Understanding finally washes over Yoru, cold and sharp in its clarity. He takes one of Phoenix’s hands, holding it tightly in his own. 

“I’m sorry to have worried you,” he says quietly, tracing his fingers over Phoenix’s ring. “I care for you very much, and I don’t think I’ve met someone who understands me better than you.”

He tilts Phoenix’s head up so they’re looking eye to eye. Yoru swears he can see a spark dance across Phoenix’s dark brown eyes, and his breath catches a bit. He feels like he’s about to walk off the edge of a cliff, heart suddenly racing. Yoru had never been one to play his cards unless under duress, and even then he knew the old yakuza family would say that it would be like pulling teeth. Sage just tells him that she’s never met someone with a better poker face other than herself. 

Yoru steps forward into Phoenix’s space, settles his hands on Phoenix’s waist, and kisses him fervently. Adrenaline surges through him as he closes his eyes. He can feel Phoenix’s eyelashes flutter against his cheek before Phoenix kisses him back. Yoru hopes the message is clear enough, but he knows he needs to play his hand. It would be unfair otherwise. He pulls back, wrapping his arms around the back of Phoenix’s neck.

“I care about you very much, Phoenix,” he says, voice low in his chest. His heart hammers out an unfamiliar rhythm as each of his cards fall. It’s all or nothing. “I know our relationship is new, and that we’re still learning about each other. But there is no one else I’d rather be with.” 

Phoenix gives him a megawatt grin before pulling him close. “Not like you have a great selection,” he teases. Yoru grumbles, flicking Phoenix’s chin. 

“We’re having a moment, idiot. Don’t ruin it.” 

Phoenix chuckles. Yoru basks in the sound for a bit, letting a wave of peace wash over him. “But… I mean what I said--I care for you quite a lot. And that means I’m going to do whatever it takes to come back to you, every time.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this! Come yell at me on twitter (@kahtonotkayto) about Valorant, or other fandom stuff!


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